PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Arizona

Graham County, AZ

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Graham County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

39.6%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
16.3%
on SNAP
39K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AZ

The food-access picture

39.6% of Graham County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
5.0%
households, no vehicle
17.3%
below poverty line

Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).

USDA data puts Graham County's low-access share at 39.6%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 14,755 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,860 low-income residents.

How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts

The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.

How Graham County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Graham County's 39.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 87% of them and ranked #415 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Graham County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Graham County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Graham County, AZ USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (44.4%) 3 tracts limited (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (22.2%) Adequate 44% Limited 33% Severe 22% Food-access tier distribution: Graham County, AZ
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Graham County vs. other Arizona counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arizona

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Graham County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)37,220
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population14,755
Low-Access Share39.6%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,860

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Graham County
IndicatorValue
Population39,232
Median Household Income$67,325
Poverty Rate17.3%above the national average
SNAP Households2,073
SNAP Participation Rate16.3%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population7.2%
SNAP participation in Graham County 16.3%

About 16.3% of Graham County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 39.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,073 households here.
  • 5.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).

What the food-access data shows for Graham County

above the national share

2 of Graham County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 14,755 residents, roughly 39.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,860 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Graham County

Graham County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 13

  • circle k 2700419, safford
  • circle k 2701577, safford
  • circle k 2703495, safford
  • daily stop, thatcher
  • mt graham market, safford
  • speedway 2949, thatcher
  • speedway 2961, safford
  • speedway 2971, thatcher
  • speedway 2981, pima
  • speedway 2982, safford
  • speedway 2984, safford
  • speedway 2990, safford
  • thatcher chevron, thatcher

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • dollar general 14345, safford
  • dollar general 6614, safford
  • dollar general 13351, stafford
  • dollar general 23586, safford
  • dollar general 30083, safford
  • dollar tree 2892, thatcher
  • family dollar store 10218, ft. thomas
  • walgreens 02429, safford

Super Store · 3

  • food city 40, thatcher
  • thriftee food and drug, safford
  • walmart 1149, safford

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • mi casa tortilla, safford

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • carter's custom cuts, thatcher

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • murrieta meat market, safford

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • mt. turnbull apache market, bylas

Supermarket · 1

  • safeway 2648, thatcher

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Arizona

Apache County
54.7% low-access · 30.5% SNAP
Cochise County
43.9% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Coconino County
32.5% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Gila County
28.2% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Greenlee County
32.9% low-access · 5.7% SNAP
La Paz County
53.4% low-access · 11.6% SNAP

Compare Graham County vs Apache County → · All Arizona counties →

Food access nationally, Arizona in context

Graham County sits inside Arizona (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Graham County has low food access? ▼
39.6% of residents in Graham County, AZ live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Graham County? ▼
16.3% of households in Graham County receive SNAP, covering 2,073 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Graham County? ▼
The poverty rate in Graham County, AZ is 17.3%, with a median household income of $67,325 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Graham County a food desert? ▼
2 of Graham County's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Graham County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.0% of households in Graham County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
Data Sources & Methodology

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →

Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).

Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.